My character, Kali, actually had a very small role in my other FF9 fic, Redundant, (although I think she was a little bit older), and for some reason I couldn't picture a little girl Genome with a name other than Kali, so I stuck with it. Err…just thought you'd like to know (for anyone who's read Redundant as well really).

I wrote this 'cause I thought it was a cute idea…and I'm broody…I know you all wanted to know that!

One more thing, I hate the name Dagger, I usually call her Garnet, but I thought that the latter would be inappropriate for the tone of this fic. Another pointless comment I wanted to share with you : )

Chapter one - Reluctance

'When Terra awakens and the souls are released, we begin to grow.' - Genome

The lamp was lit suddenly and the night time shadows leapt away from the dancing flames in alarm. He heard a shuffle behind him and braced himself for what was coming.

'You're awake,' a voice said.

'You woke me up.'

'Liar.'

The orange light flickered and the darkness retreated and advanced with each movement. An owl hooted from somewhere outside.

He heard her wriggle into a sitting position and groaned inwardly.

'Dagger, why are you doing this now? Can't we talk about it in the morning when I'm not half asleep?'

The queen of Alexandria sighed. 'No, you'll only slip out of it somehow, and we're both wide-awake anyway. Zidane, I want a -'

'For gods sake Dagger I want to get some sleep!'

The Genome was laying on his side with his back to her. He watched how the flames turned the shadows into grotesque parodies of their solid counterparts and how these demonic forms were dancing manically upon the wall. True, he had been awake for hours, he hadn't been getting much sleep recently and he didn't think his wife had either. Though, it was her fault in the first place that they-

'Please hear me out,' she pleaded, touching his back.

He considered. 'No.'

'Oh! You can't avoid the topic forever!'

'Watch me.'

He listened to the rustling of their bed covers as she moved, then heard the gentle thuds of her footsteps on the carpet. He considered rolling over but knew it would only infuriate her more and he did hate arguing with her. Still, he kept his blue eyes downcast as she knelt in front of him on the floor, her dark hair loose and falling in front of her coffee brown eyes.

Resting a hand on his, she said very softly, 'Zidane, I really want a child.'

He looked up into her eyes, propped his elbow up and rested his head on his hand. 'Why?'

'Lot's of reasons.'

'Such as…?'

'The logical explanation is that there should be an heir to the throne. And Zidane, I've always wanted a child, and I only want you to be the father. For years now I've longed for one and I think I'm ready-'

'Well I'm not.'

Why?' she gasped. The firelight glinted amber hues in her pleading eyes.

'Look at me, Dagger! I'm hardly father material and you know it!'

Her voice rose in protest. 'Well I beg to differ! You're amazing with children Zidane; I've seen you! You're patient, caring and loving-'

'Irresponsible, impulsive, defiant -'

'Skilful, intelligent, fun-'

'I'm not doing it Dagger and that's that.'

'Must you be so argumentative?'

'There, another reason for why I shouldn't be a father,' Zidane countered spitefully. He rolled over away from her flawless face and announced, 'I'm going back to sleep.'

Of course he didn't. Even long after his wife had drifted into slumber he remained stirring amongst the bed covers restlessly, listening to the peaceful sound of Dagger breathing.

He stared up at the balcony of their four-poster bed and contemplated what Dagger had just asked of him. It wasn't that he didn't want a child, it would be nice to be part of a proper family; but the problem lied within the fact that he just simply didn't know how to be father. No one had ever shown him. There was Baku, he was clever and caring, but he had never expressed a fatherly love toward Zidane, even though he viewed him as a son. And if he did have a child it would grow up completely different to the way Zidane grew up, living among a bunch of thieves. There was nothing he could take to aid him in fatherhood from there.

And having a child meant responsibility that he couldn't escape without abandoning it - and he couldn't do that. Having a child meant twenty-four hours of hands-down care, love and attention and Zidane wasn't sure if he had the determination and patience to deal with such a thing. To be in charge of such a fragile life was too big a deal for him to manage.

Dagger's just broody, I'm sure she'll get over it soon. Then she'll stop pestering me every night about it, he thought hopefully.

Just as dawn's light was spilling in through his bedroom window, Zidane fell asleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Hilda Garde 3 rumbled beneath his feet as if it were alive. The loud spluttering of the propellers could be heard in the background and somewhere below the deck the engine hummed and sustained their flight. The wings from the Nacarriss flapped on either side of the ship, giving it the impression of a massive mechanical bird.

Yet these feats of machinery went unnoticed to the solitary Genome who stood on the top deck and gazed down at the sun-beat lands of the Unknown Continent. They had just flown over Conde Petite and the green arch of Donna Plains Forest stretched across the horizon like a colossal jade arm.

Zidane heard footsteps clank on the wooden deck behind him but didn't bother turning.

'Master Zidane, we can't take you any further. You'll have to walk from-'

'I know.'

He turned abruptly and strolled past the crewmember without a glance.

The Hilda Garde rocked as it landed, it's sturdy legs planted into the ground, its elongated nose pointing to the sky as if longing to take flight again.

Zidane jumped over the railings and landed unperturbed on the baked ground. He had commanded that the ship wait there until he returns, which shouldn't be too long. He was just going on one of his regular visits to see the other Genomes. He sort of saw it as a commitment. They looked up to him in a way, or so Mikoto told him anyway, and they were the nearest he'd ever get to relatives.

After an hour of travelling beneath the cool balcony of leaves, he arrived in the cheery Black Mage Village, where he was suddenly flocked by mages, all greeting him in their high-spirited manner. The Genomes hovered apprehensively in the background in groups of two or three, the younger Genomes edging closer to get a better view of him.

'Zidane!' a familiar voice called above the ruckus.

The blonde looked down and grinned at a little mage. 'Hey Vivi, how's it going around here?'

'Oh it's been going okay,' he replied, adjusting his over sized hat. 'Um…you should see how your brothers and sisters have improved! They're…they're really beginning to get personalities, Zidane!'

Zidane looked over at the other Genomes, their faces expressionless and their eyes holding only the slightest hint of curiosity.

'Is that so?'

'Yup! Oh um…you wanna see Mikoto?'

The mages began to disperse and go back to their daily business in the scorching heat of the sun. 'Oh yeah, is she around?' Zidane answered, looking around at his surroundings idly.

Vivi nodded and plodded off in the direction of the chocobo hut. Zidane wandered after him, placing his weapons to the side for the moment. He smiled slightly as he watched the Genomes shuffle towards them out of interest. Zidane had discovered that they were peaceful people and were quite ignorant about fighting; thinking that the main strength came from the weapon; not from the person that uses it. Zidane knew this was quite the opposite.

The fan constructed of large, yellow chocobo feathers rotated in slow circles, cooling the wooden hut slightly. Two big, speckled eggs were sitting in a nest of straw and tending to them was his younger sister, Mikoto.

She looked up at him indifferently. 'Hello, Zidane.'

'Hey! How've you been, Miko?'

She gave him a disapproving look - she hated it when he called her that. 'I have been fine. I have to look after these eggs until the mages come back. They've gone for a break.'

'Oh.' He scratched the back of his head and heard Vivi exit. 'So have the other Genomes been okay?'

She stopped covering the eggs with straw and turned to him, a slight glimmer of excitement flashing in her azure eyes. 'You wouldn't believe,' she told him, 'how they've progressed! It's incredible! I actually think they're beginning to develop souls!'

Zidane sat down on a pile of hay. 'How come?'

'Perhaps it's the vivacity of their surroundings, or the carefree nature of the mages, or maybe even the fact that have been forced to accept that their future is no longer set for them. It could even be because we are no longer subject to the blue glow of Terra.' She turned back to the eggs. 'Whatever the reason, I'm glad my people are beginning to show a passion toward what they do.'

Zidane rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'I'm glad too. Hey can I-'

The two mages that cared for the chocobos entered the tiny hut. They bowed respectfully to Zidane then thanked Mikoto for taking care of the eggs while they were gone. She didn't respond to them but beckoned her brother out of the squat house.

They walked along the wooden planks beside the bubbling stream, shaded by the mage's shops. Zidane was about to say something when he spotted a group of Genome children and mages playing together in the stream. The Genomes had their trousers rolled up to their knees and were making small boats out of leaves and twigs. They handed them to the mages who let them go on the running water. Zidane watched the little ships glide uncertainly down the stream, bobbing up and down on the gentle current, sometimes getting caught of weeds and rocks and one of them got caught on a…on a hand?

A little girl had reached forward and scooped the leaf boat out of the water and now sat there turning it over and over in her little hands. She was all by herself and there was something about this tiny Genome that struck him. Her face held no expression whatsoever, her tail hung limply by her side; her eyes were blank, almost unseeing. She was…just like they used to be.

'Is there something wrong?' Mikoto asked him.

'Err…no…well, that little girl…?'

Mikoto glanced over to where he was looking. 'Kali.'

'Uh. Is she…she looks…'

'Like a mindless vessel?' Mikoto finished blandly. 'Yes, she still is. She hasn't progressed like the other Genomes for some reason. Kali has stayed the same 'age' for five years now.'

Zidane watched the five-year-old girl pick apart the boat. 'What do you mean?'

'Haven't you noticed? All the other Genomes have started growing - that's because they have developed souls. When we were created, we were to stay the same physically for years until a soul entered us; then we would begin growing.'

'So Kali doesn't have a soul?'

'It doesn't seem so. Perhaps she hasn't found the fulfilment here like all the others.'

The male Genome strangely found this quite saddening. She was a very pretty little Genome, her eyes a clear, pale blue and her short hair the lightest blonde he had ever seen. Even though he wouldn't speak his thoughts, he thought she looked very sweet, sitting there alone of the bank playing with a boat made of leaves.

'She holds no interest her peers,' Mikoto continued. 'But I can hardly send her…' She looked at Zidane suddenly, a strange look glinting in her sapphire eyes.

Zidane returned her stare nervously. 'Wh-what?'

She looked away. 'Nothing. Are you coming? For dinner I mean.'

'Huh? Oh yeah…'

When he looked back the little girl was gone and all that was left were torn up leaves and a broken twig, the remains of a child's toy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It rained in thin silvery sheets, the sort of rain that doesn't appear to be much, but it gets you wet in seconds. The grey clouds hung low in the sky and were moving very quickly in front of a watery sun. Yet, it was quite warm and the weather certainly hadn't perturbed the mages and Genomes to bid him farewell.

Zidane strapped his weapons across his back and sheathed his dagger, staring grimly at the sky.

'Say hi to Dagger for me, 'kay?' Vivi asked him.

Zidane grinned and nodded. ''Course!' He then waved to the small crowd and was slightly anxious and irate when he couldn't spot Mikoto.

'Hey Vivi, where's my sister?'

The little mage adjusted his hat. 'Um…she left a little bit earlier. I think she went into the wood.'

'Oh well, if you see her tell her I said bye, alright?'

He trailed out into the forest, kicking at the dead leaves that carpeted the ground. The rain dripped off of the remaining ones that hung onto the branches feebly, an array of bright crimsons, ambers and auburns. Owls hooted even though it was midday and scattered brown feathers across the floor.

'Zidane.'

He startled and looked around. Mikoto leaned against a tree to the right of the path.

'What are you doing here? It's dangerous outside the village!'

She shrugged. 'I wandered around Terra alone, didn't I?'

'Yes but-'

'I want to ask you a favour,' she interrupted.

Zidane inclined his head. 'Oh yeah?'

'Will you…will you take Kali back with you? To Alexandria?'

Zidane nearly fell over. 'WH-WHAT! That's a pretty big favour, Mikoto!'

She looked at the floor sheepishly. 'I know. But…I only want what's best for her.'

Zidane strode towards her and shook her shoulders gently. 'Mikoto, I can't do what you're asking! Take care of a kid? I can't! She'll be better off here than with me. I'm so irresponsible! I'd never make a good father!'

Mikoto looked confused suddenly. 'But I'm not asking you to be her father; I'm asking you to take care of her for a while. Perhaps you could…help her find her soul?'

Zidane looked at her, exasperated. 'Miko…'

'She is your youngest sister, after all.'

'Please, I can't-'

A movement behind her caught his eye and he peered around his sister's form. Kali stood there, hiding behind a tree trunk, staring out at him with large, blue eyes, as clear as diamonds. Her cropped hair curled slightly in the dampness and rimmed her oval face. Her skin gleamed milky-white and raindrops trickled down her cheeks and dripped of her little chin. She looked so vulnerable.

Zidane looked back at Mikoto, into her pleading eyes. He kicked the earth. 'Aw man, I don't have a choice do I?' He beckoned to Kali. 'Hurry up then, if you're coming.'

Mikoto brought her arms up around her older brother and gave him a quick hug in thanks. 'This means a lot to me,' she said.

'Don't mention it,' he replied stiffly and watched Mikoto return to the village.

After she departed from view, the tiny Genome walked listlessly to Zidane's side and looked up into his eyes. The male Genome felt a sudden awkwardness creep over him and he scratched the back of his head. What the hell am I supposed to do now? I've got a kid to take care of from god's sake! Oh hell, what's Dagger gonna say? She'll be furious! Damn Mikoto for chucking this on me like this, she knows what I'm like! How old is she again, five? I can' take care of a five-year-old I mean I'll probably lose her or something…oh crap.

She was gone.

'K-Kali? Kali? Kali! KALI? KKAALLII! Oh crap I've lost her already! MIKOTO COME BACK! KALI!'

'I am right here.'

He jumped into the air and spun round. 'D-don't e-ever do that again! G-got it?'

She stared at him blankly.

'C-c'mon then.' His heart was pounding like a drum. 'Let's go to the ship…and stay close to me, got it?'

With Zidane clutching his chest and Kali trailing beside him, the siblings started their journey back to the Hilda Garde 3, with only the hiss of rain filling the silence.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'What a little angel! Who's this you've brought back with you then?'

Zidane glared at the crewmember. 'My sister.'

'What a darling! What's you're name little one?'

She blinked. 'Kali.'

'And how old are you?'

'Age is irrelevant to us, but you should refer to which age you mean, I was created many years ago by-'

'Err…that's enough Kali,' Zidane intervened, tugging her away from the confused pilot. Out of earshot he bent down to her level. 'You're five-years-old okay?'

She seemed to consider this. 'I suppose.'

He sighed and shook his head. Man I'm shattered already. 'C'mon, let's go out on the deck and get some fresh air.'

Already half way across the ocean toward the Mist Continent, the drizzling rain had stopped and the sun was burning in a lapis sky. Yet at their altitude, it was very windy and cold. Zidane found himself rubbing his arms to stay warm.

He looked across at Kali who wore only sleeveless woollen dress. 'Here,' he said, taking off his navy jacket, 'where this or else you'll get cold.'

'I am not cold.'

'Well…you will be. Just put it on, okay?'

She took the jacket from him and slipped it on. It was far too big and she seemed quite lost within it, the sleeves hanging down past her hands, the rim almost touching the floor.

She looks so adorable! Zidane found himself thinking, then shook his head.

'Mister Zidane!' a voice called. 'How are the mages doing?'

The blonde turned around and saw Erin walking towards him.

'Aren't you meant to be driving this thing?' Zidane observed nervously.

'Nah, one of the other pilots has taken over. So? How've they been?'

Zidane scratched the back of his head and grinned. 'The usual really! Vivi's still soaring through life with a cheerful demeanour and the mages are still lively and living peacefully with the Genomes. Actually, a chocobo has just laid two new eggs and they're takin' care of 'em! I'm glad that they've got something to pass the time with. Oh and-'

'Um…Zid-'

'Hey I'm answering your question!'

'Y-yes I'm sorry…but err…d-does she…belong to you?'

Zidane turned round and thought his heart was about to explode. 'KALI WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! GET DOWN FROM THERE!'

Kali, who was balancing on the metal railing, a hundred foot drop to her left and the wooden deck to her right, looked up at him through opaque eyes. She was standing, one foot in front of the other, perfectly aligned above the barrier, which was only about five inches in diameter. Her arms hung limply at her side and her tail was outstretched for balance. The wind battered her angelic face and fluttered her clothing and creamy hair. Surely she would fall!

Without a second thought Zidane threw himself at her, grabbed her tiny form around the waist and fell backwards onto the safety of deck, Kali landing on top of him.

He pushed her off roughly. 'WHY DID YOU DO THAT, HUH? You could've been killed!'

'I maintain a perfect sense of balance,' she replied blandly.

The engine stalled for only a second and the ship shuddered violently, rocking the riders on their feet.

'What if that had happened while you were on the railing? Well I'll tell ya what would've happened! You'd be squashed like a pancake by now! Do you understand that? You'd be dead! Dead!'

She looked across to the railing for a moment, then back at her older brother. 'Yes.'

Zidane shook his fists and gritted his teeth, but kept his mouth shut - sure that if he would open it a string of curses would fall out.

This is going to be a long day…

Zidane's about to find out that Kali can't swim and will the child split him and Dagger up? All next chapter. I know there's not a lot in this chapter but please review it, 'kay? Please:puppy eyes: